Canada 2005 VICTORY End World War II $5 1 Oz Silver Maple Leaf WWII VE VJ Day

Description: In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!Long SOLD OUT at the Royal Canadian Mint! This unique silver maple leaf features a "V" for Victory, commemorating the end of World War II! This significant Silver Maple Leaf (SML) commemorates the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in unique style. A seaman, an infantryman and a fighter pilot grace the obverse, superimposed on a "V" for Victory and the maple leaf, one of the iconic symbols of Canada. The End of the Second World War On September 2, 1945 a small party of Japanese dignitaries, headed by Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and representing both the Japanese people and the Emperor, boarded the battleship U.S.S. Missouri to sign the unconditional Instrument of Surrender and officially end the most devastating war in human history. Less than a month earlier the United States had dropped atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ushering in a new era and finally convincing the Japanese military leaders that the further continuation of World War II was futile. Waiting on board was Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander for the Allies. High-ranking military representatives of the other Allied nations included Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser of the Royal Navy, the Commander of the British Pacific Fleet, Free French General Leclerc, Republic of China General Hsu Yung-Ch'ang, Soviet Lieutenant-General Kuzma Nikolaevich Derevyanko, Australian General Sir Thomas Blamey, Canadian Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave, Netherlands Vice Admiral Conrad Emil Lambert Helfrich, and New Zealand Air Vice Marshal Leonard M. Isitt. At 09:02 General MacArthur stepped before a battery of microphones and the twenty-three minute surrender ceremony was broadcast to the waiting world. All the dignitaries signed the Formal Surrender Document in a simple and solemn ceremony, and by 09:30 World War II was officially over. The deck of Missouri was decorated with the American flag that had flown on the mast of Commodore Perry's ship when he had sailed into the same Tokyo Bay nearly a century earlier to force the opening of Japan's ports to foreign trade. Missouri was personally chosen as the site of the surrender by President of the United States Harry S. Truman, a native of that great state. She was the last American battleship to be completed and the last to be finally decommissioned, on March 31, 1992. Missouri is now a museum ship in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, anchored abaft the remains of U.S.S. Arizona, where she watches over the Arizona Memorial. A plaque on her deck commemorates the Japanese Surrender in 1945 at the precise location where the Second World War officially ended. Please see the article lower in this presentation for a discussion of Canada's role in World War II as well another dramatic photograph of U.S.S. Missouri. Technology Note The Royal Canadian Mint refines the purest silver in the world. This one ounce silver coin is 99.99% pure! The Specimen Finish This coin features the uniquely Canadian "specimen" finish, a three-fold combination of different finishes. The design (raised area or relief) includes both brilliant and mirrored surfaces, while the fields (background) are subtly striated, resulting in a contrasting, matte appearance. No other mint in the world employs the specimen finish. The specimen finish is used to incredible effect on this historic coin, providing an outstanding example of how this uniquely Canadian finish enhances the design. A sailor, a soldier and an airman are depicted in mirrored proof. They are superimposed on an incredibly textured Canadian maple leaf, different from that which has ever appeared on any other $5 Pure Silver Maple Leaf. The maple leaf, in turn, is superimposed on a "V" for Victory portrayed in frosted cameo relief, as are the legends. All are located on a striated, matte background or field. The contrasting reliefs and finishes of the specimen approach presents that truly artistic tableau that must be seen in person to be fully appreciated! Obverse From left to right, are the bust portraits of a seaman, an infantryman and a fighter pilot of the Second World War, turned 1/4 left and so highly detailed that the letters on the sailor's cap can be read! Behind is a single maple leaf, symbol of Canada, superimposed on the letter "V" (for "Victory"). The denomination and the dual date commemoration 1945 - 2005 are also indicated. Reverse Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian Coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") and the date of issue also appear. Packaging The coin is encapsulated inside a maroon presentation case, with stand suitable for display, protected by a black outer box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included. Specifications Country Canada Year of Issue 2005 Face Value 5 Dollars Weight 31.39 g Diameter 38 mm Finish Specimen Composition .9999 Fine (Pure) Silver Edge Reeded (milled, serrated) Artist Peter Mossman Certificate Individually Numbered Canada's Role in WWII The Second World War was over. In the six years of conflict (1939-1945), Canada had enlisted more than one million men and women in her armed forces, a relatively large percentage of her total population. Of those who served, more than 45,000 gave their lives for the causes of freedom and peace. While Canada's contribution to the victory was naturally smaller than that of her major allies, Great Britain and the United States, the quality of her achievement had been high and her proportional sacrifice large. In the words of the official historian of the Canadian Army, his homeland's record "might command respect even by the standards of the great powers". The Canadian Army is remembered in the annals of warfare for the ill-fated raid on the port of Dieppe in 1942 and for the Liberation of the Netherlands at the end of the war. However, it was not only the Canadian Army that emerged with a proud record. The Royal Canadian Air Force took a substantial share in the air offensive against the Nazi forces, and through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan helped to train large numbers of airmen from other nations of the Commonwealth. The Royal Canadian Navy played a vital role in protecting Allied convoys from Nazi submarines that lurked beneath the Atlantic and was ultimately entrusted with the bulk of the convoy work, with the port of Halifax in Nova Scotia the single largest staging area for British-bound convoys. Canada as a nation matured through the ordeal of war and was now ready to assume new responsibilities as a member of the world community. To this day and throughout the world, the Commonwealth War Graves Commissions maintains graves and memorials to commemorate members of the Commonwealth Forces who died during the First and Second World Wars. A total of 109,980 Canadians are thus commemorated in seventy-four countries. Copyright © 2024 Talisman World Coins and Medals. All Rights Reserved.

Price: 49.95 USD

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri

End Time: 2024-10-21T16:25:53.000Z

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